


Second Chances

by Weirdflaws



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:21:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28916016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weirdflaws/pseuds/Weirdflaws
Summary: Light and darkness.That’s the last thing Credence Barebone manage to get a glimpse of before he lost consciousness. And the last thing he thinks is, finally, he can rest.
Kudos: 3





	Second Chances

1

Light and darkness.

That’s the last thing Credence Barebone manage to get a glimpse of before he lost consciousness. And the last thing he thinks is, finally, he can rest. 

It was cold after that. Colder than what he felt when his adoptive mother sent him to sleep outside the alley when he didn’t manage to finish his task of distributing the flyers. Credence didn’t mind though, as long as he wouldn’t have to face her again. 

And Mr Graves.

There’s also the feeling of floating, his body feeling lighter by the second, where all his chains strapped down by Mary Lou are stripped away one by one, no more fearing the look Mary Lou would send him, the pain she inflicted on him. 

Credence smiles. An honest to God smile.

He curls himself into a ball and sighs.

Nothing and no one can hurt him anymore.

2

Newt Scamander stands alone in the middle of the mess that was once the Barebone orphanage. The house wasn’t touched when the city was undergoing its repair. Part of the evidence they said. 

For the birth of an obscurus. 

But no one said it was for the death of a Credence Barebone.

The topic was a sensitive topic these few days in the MACUSA. Newt senses the guilt of the Aurors that were involved in the fight to take down the dark magic. They knew they had a chance to change the ending. It doesn’t have to end up sacrificing an innocent person. Still, they sent up spell after spell, fueled by fear of the power they couldn’t handle. There’s also the case of the missing director of MACUSA, Percival Graves. 

Newt felt his stomach sour. He hopes he could be found the sooner the better. 

The atmosphere in the house was heavy, thick enough to be cut by a knife. The children were taken away by the authorities. Most of them Muggles, but obliviated just for security measures and finally sent off to other orphanages that would take them. However, the Barebone sisters, Modesty and Chastity, were a special case. With direct relations to Credence, they were placed under special surveillance, where they were taken care of by people hired by the MACUSA and were to report if there are any strange happenings, as they said. Newt knows the hidden meaning. They were afraid for another repeat of history. 

‘Newt.’ A hand on the crook of his arm brought him out of his mundane thoughts. Porpontina Goldstein appears beside him, voice soft and a comforting smile gracing her lips. ‘I think they can handle the rest.’

The man nods, understanding the message, meaning that there’s nothing more he can do here anymore. Credence won’t be coming back; he couldn’t help the boy any longer. He sighs and looked up at the sky, filled with heavy clouds and sorrow, as if heaven is mourning for a lost soul. ‘If only we had more time.’ He whispers and patted Tina’s hand.

‘If only.’ She squeezed her hand in response, trying to channel her feelings and support to him. Newt smiles gratefully at the gesture but dropped as soon as Tina moves away to the call of her colleagues. The hand was gone and the emptiness returning once more.

A chance slipped away. A soul is gone. Newt took a shuddering breath and remembers the glimpse of the dark smoke disappearing into thin air. ‘I’m sorry, Credence.’ This time he whispers to himself and took a deep breath, air stale with death. He hopes Credence would finally get his rest after a living a life he didn’t deserve to have.

3

‘Well, I guess this is it.’ Tina says when Newt turns around. The sound of the warning horn of the boat booms around the harbour. ‘Thanks. Again. And sorry for the bad first impression.’ She laughs nervously and swipes her finger under her nose, a nervous tick Newt found endearing. 

He shrugs nonchalantly, dismissing the worry. ‘It’s fine. I had my fair share of bad first impressions before.’ Memories of him catching his escaped creatures in front of the Minister of Magic made him wince internally. 

Tina eyes the bounded-up suitcase that is still wriggling periodically. ‘You look over those trouble makers now. We wouldn’t want them lost at sea.’ She raises a challenging eyebrow at Newt. 

The magizoologist averts his eyes and stares at the ground. ‘I’ll try.’ He mumbles, he couldn’t make any promises just yet. 

Tina shakes her head hopelessly at the poor reply and laughs through her nose. 

‘I’ll send an owl when I’m back. With my book.’ Newt blurted out to veer off the topic. ‘If you’re interested, that is.’

Tina stares at him in disbelief. ‘Of course. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.’ 

Everything around them went quiet after that. They were the last few to linger around the harbour. ‘I’m going to miss you.’ Tina’s soft whisper barely reaches Newt’s ear. ‘You literally spun my life around. From Wand Permits, back to Auror. Capturing Grindelwald.’ She halts right then and casts down her eyes.

They both know what it leads to and both chooses not to speak. Losing Credence is still a raw wound, tender to touch when both are so close to saving that lost soul. Newt sucks in his lips and straightens his stance. ‘Well.’ He shakes himself clear of the oncoming heavy thoughts. ‘I’m sure Credence is in a much happier place now. We shall keep him in our hearts and fuel our hope for the future. He would love that.’

Pickett suddenly chirrups from Newts pocket, following with a few trashes. Newt frowns in confusion and reaches for his pocket. ‘Pickett, what-’ As soon as Newt asks the Bowtruckle the question, the creature answers him with silence. 

‘He must the anxious for the trip back, I’m guessing.’ Tina comments on the weird behaviour but she wouldn’t know where Newt’s weird lies at. She pats Pickett on the head with her finger and the creature preens at the attention.

Newt rolls his eyes, knowing that the Bowtruckle was seeking attention again. He should really get to talking to Pickett about playing favouritism.

The horn sounds its final warning and the attendant at the ship’s entrance yells: ‘All aboard!’ 

‘I’ll see you soon.’ Newt returns his attention back to Tina and nods firmly. This time his promise is made and Tina understands the message. He grips his suitcase harder and makes himself spin around, walking toward his trip back home.

It’s been a long time he had farewells like this. 

He hopes it’s his last.

4

Credence feels a pull in the darkness that stirs him awake from his slumber. How long had he slept? 

Credence remembers something pulling him. A familiar source of energy. It's something like him, lost and alone. 

'Hello,' said a feminine voice, sounding young yet wise. 

Credence startles and shrinks himself smaller, hoping the stranger will lose interest from his lack of response. 

'It's the first time I've seen someone like me.' The voice soothes and Credence let down his shield little by little when he heard those words. 

'Like you?' He speaks- no, thinks. He then realised that they are communicating by thoughts as confusion rises in him. Is this the afterlife? Why is it so dark? Who is talking to him?  
Another emotion suddenly drenched him, soothing and calming. 'Calm down. You are safe here now. No one will hurt you anymore.'

'But, where am I? Who are you?' The questions leaked out continuously. It isn’t like him to bombard anyone else with questions, let alone speak this long but there’s something in this form. He feels safe in this darkness. Giddiness fills him as he has never felt something like this before. He feels free. 

'You are free here. Safe from harm.’ Warmth spreads towards him and Credence greedily clamour to it but restrains himself. What if this thing is like Mr Graves all over again? A tinkle of light shines near him, Credence feels laughter from the girl. ‘Do not worry. My name is Haya and I am like you. Once unloved, chained for being what we are, punished for something we did not do.' Her voice fills with sorrow and sadness, with words that are way too mature for her own age. Credence feels some part of him sour at the memories flashing by his mind. His adoptive mother. The president’s son. The man he trusted. 'But these are all over now and we are in a better place.'

Darkness is all Credence could see but there's the feeling that he is not alone. Foreign sounds float by, snorting, scraping and howling? 'Um. My name is Credence but where are we? ' The curiosity escapes without an ounce of hesitation. ‘Sorry.’ 

'You are in Mr Newt suitcase.'

'Mr. Newt?' Credence repeats in confusion. A head full of red hair and a splash of freckles across a nose appears across his mind. ‘Suitcase?’

‘Is that him?’ Another flash of colours consisting of different shades of blues and pinks burst around him and Credence feels a mixture of curiosity and joy. ‘I have never met him. I recognised him only from his voice. He has a lovely voice. Kind and soft. Just like my mama.’ 

Credence caught a glimpse of a skinny woman with long braided hair and dark skin. There are only a pair of warm brown eyes crinkling with wrinkles at the corner of her eyes, looking at him like he’s her only Sun. She caresses his face lovingly. 

‘Your mother sounds amazing.’ He follows the warm hand in desperation but falls into disappointment when it vanishes. Is that what having a real mother feels like? 

As if sensing his sadness, Haya hesitates. ‘Do you not...have a mother?’ 

Credence would dip his head, if he has one right now, in an attempt to escape the question. ‘I have one. But… she’s not like your mama.’ He stops at that as Mary Lou appears with his belt in her grasp. Her facial expressions are stern and angry. He bats away the memory, hoping Haya never experience what he did before. 

She is quiet. The silence stretches long enough until Credence thinks he’s scared her away, by that memory. 

‘Not quite.’ Haya speaks up at the thought. ‘I have that experience too but I am not afraid of those memories anymore.’

The drive of determination and bravery stuns Credence. He had that drive once. In the underground platform, when Mr Graves calls out to him. All he knew that these emotions brought upon only destruction and damage. 

‘Credence is it? Those are not bravery you are experiencing during that time.’ Haya says softly, Credence knew she must have seen those images. 

He shuns away from the warmth. He doesn’t deserve it. ‘No. I’m sure it was. I have never felt anything like that before. To actually defy someone else.’ What else could explain that feeling?

Kindness spreads over him and the darkness is slowly tainted with shades of yellows that reminded him of sunlight and sunflowers. ‘That is not bravery, Credence, but fear. You did it to protect yourself.’

Fear? Credence nearly laughs in mockery at that. That is no fear. Fear is you wrapping yourself as small as you can. Fear is you not standing up for yourself when someone blatantly calls you a freak in your face. Fear is you not protecting your sisters or giving them a real family. Fear is you leaving that home filled with abuse and pain, bringing along your siblings. 

‘Fear.’ Haya stern voice breaks his train of thoughts and he stutters. Knowing she has gotten his attention, she continues but this time with softness. ‘Fear is when you were pushed to your breaking point and the fear you have been bottled up in you get the best of you. That is fear. I’ve been through a lot of things, Credence, and that is definitely not bravery.’

In a flash, a whip strikes him at the chest, taking his breath away. Another flash of pain erupts this time from his back. 

_You’ll pay for what you did, monster._

_Oh, Lord. Save this child from the devil in her._

_Repent for your sins._

_I’m sorry, Haya. I’m sorry you had to go through this._

_Lock her up!_

_You were never my daughter._

_Chain her!_

_Child of the devil!_

_Beat the evil out of her!_

_Haya, my sunshine. Run! Run while you can!_

_Devil!_

_Devil!_

_Devil!_

Thousands of voices ring around him, men and women, young and old, spewing curses and threats. Then a sharp pain pierces through his chest, he gasps and through a veil of fog, he sees a woman in front of him go down to her knees and slumps to the ground. The same brown eyes from earlier are filled with tears and apologies, she stares back with her last breathtaking in the form of a sentence. 

_Be brave, kabogoh abdi_.

‘I was never brave in the end.’ Haya whispers as the memories fade to black, however, the pain continues to linger in Credence’s bones, filling the gaps Mary Lou once left hollow. He can never forget that pain. ‘The next thing I remember is hearing Mr Newt’s voice and this is where I have been ever since.’ Her voice sounds sombre and broken, the sense of bravery before long gone. 

‘I’m sorry.’ Credence manages to gasp out, the memories still raw.

‘Bravery is when you learn to stand back up when you were torn down, Credence.’ Haya whispers. ‘I think we both need a moment alone now.’ Credence could feel her presence getting fainter by the minute. He didn’t call for her to stop or come back. He knows the need to calm down from the strong emotions flooding the heart. 

With that, Credence is once again alone in the darkness.

5

There’s something the creatures are hiding. Newt casts suspicious eyes at the Niffler in front of him, who twitched it’s nose innocently. It’s been going on for weeks, ever since he stepped off from the land of America. Restlessness resonance among them whenever he arrives at a certain part of the compound. It’s either he’s lured away by a howl of the Nundu, or tripped by the Occamies that somehow escaped from their nest again, or distracted by the mischief of the Niffler. Even the Demiguise is involved in this certain mutiny.

Newt narrows his eyes at the area of the ‘forbidden compound’ apparently drawn by the creatures. 

There is no way they can hide something from Mummy. 

‘Alright, you lot. There’s something you are hiding and I want to know what it is.’ The Niffler cocks its head in confusion and Newt is starting to doubt himself that he may be making this whole thing up. No, he dismissed the thought, he’s not going to be swayed by the adorableness of this gold thief. 

The redhead stands with his arms akimbo, asserting the sense of order, at least he hopes it did. He can be mean if he wants to occasionally. ‘If you don’t tell me right now, Mummy is going to get angry.’ He stares sternly, making sure that all creatures in his sight would catch his serious glare. 

The nearby Nundu snorts as if it is a joke. Newt stamps down the urge to pout at the reaction. ‘Now-now don’t be crude you lot.’ He speaks louder, as usual, wanting everyone to hear. ‘This is our home and I’m trying my best to make it as comfortable for us, hiding things from me isn’t going to make things better, is it?’ He pauses for a reply, but the creatures remain as stubborn as ever. 

A spark of fire ignites within Newt. Right, if everyone is going to be stubborn, he’s going to be as stubborn as they are. He rolls up his sleeves further up his arms just for show that he’s not fooling around anymore. The atmosphere around the compound tenses up a notch. 

Good.

‘No one is hiding anything from Mummy anymore. Time to bring out the secret weapon.’ The man mutters to himself as he stomps back to his workshop. Ruffling around the work desk, Newt misses the worried glances the creatures exchanged. 

A cry of victory rings out from the little room. Newt exits with a triumph laugh and maybe a little mischievous snicker in the end. He walks confidently to the direction of the Niffler, hands in his suspiciously bulging pants pockets.

If the creatures can swear, they are certainly swearing right now.

‘Oh, Louis, darling.’ Newt coos and shines his smile at the beaded eye animal, sensing danger approaching, it backs up further into his nest. It’s back hit a dead end. ‘You’ll tell Mummy what is going on aren’t you?’ He picks up the escaping animal by the armpits and tucks it into his arms. Locked and keyed. 

Newt stares intently at Louis, hoping it will break under his own resolve but apparently, it’s not working. A tired sigh is released. ‘Mummy didn’t want to do this, you know. But every one of you left me with no choice.’ He glances up to the creatures and reaches into his pocket. 

The keeper lowers his lips to the Niffler’s ear and drops his voice into a whisper. ‘Now Louis, love, if you tell me who or what you are hiding, you get to keep this.’ An emerald amulet drops down by the chain from Newt’s hand, it glints enticingly at the light. 

With sparkling beaded eyes, Louis freezes and Newt knows his plan is a success. He grinned maniacally as the other creatures begin making sounds of rampage. 

‘You’ll get to keep this forever. It’s a gift from the Princess of Persia, you know. Very rare.’ The Niffler’s arms reach anxiously at the amulet, rarity made it even more luring. ‘Show me what you lot are hiding.’ Louis gazes at Newt, it’s chest heaving. Decisions are being made in that little mind of his and Newt knows the cat is out of the bag. 

Snatching the jewellery from Newt’s grasps, Louis takes off towards the direction of the forbidden area with Newt chasing behind. He pouts at the loss of the market bought trinket, he probably has to get another gift for his mother. 

Now though, he gets to know what made the creatures so protective over. 

6

‘Oh.’ 

A myriad of thoughts swims past Newt’s mind when he sees the scene before him. That he is sure that he is breaking another law. That Tina is probably going to nag him again about it. That he is probably the only wizard in the world to have two obscuruses in his protection. That he is going to have to widen his research on this peculiar obscurus.

Newt easily differentiates the new addition to the family. It’s comically smaller when compared to Haya, almost like a will-‘o-wisps he sees in books of folklores. 

Still entranced at the small black orb, Newt takes a step forward to study more closely. The orb immediately shrinks smaller and floats backward, almost as if it’s hiding behind Haya. The magizoologist halts, astonished and finds the gesture almost adorable. 

‘Hello there. It seems like we have a new member in our family.’ Newt smiles widely and tries to control his body that is thrumming with excitement. Oh, this is something amazing. Newt casts a quick glance at the smaller orb then to avoid scaring it, he switches his attention to Haya. 

‘How are you today, Haya? I hope the temperature is to your liking. Not too cold I hope? You don’t get to see snow in Sudan.’ Newt strikes up an idle conversation even when he knows there is no hope of reply over that magical bubble. 

Newt eases into acknowledging the other obscurus. ‘I see you have a new friend. Lovely to meet you. I’m Newt. Make yourself comfortable, I’m sure we’ll be happy to help out if you wish.’ He distractingly said while he evens out an accumulating pile of snow in the corner. The whole compound is empty save for two floating orbs and Newt himself, the Niffler long gone with his newly acquired treasure. 

‘Well. I’ll see myself out. I’ll be back to check up you two again.’ He walks toward the opening flap. Stopping with his hand on the flap, Newt throws back a bright smile, ‘And to you, little one, welcome to the family.’ Then he exits.

**Author's Note:**

> Something kept in my folders for around 4 years. This was written when the first part screened. Apparently, I outlined 7 arcs, plus a side story, and never continued writing. This is only half of Arc 1. 
> 
> May or may not be continued. I just want to get it out of my system and maybe share with someone.
> 
> :)


End file.
